Children Around the World Activities

Learning about other cultures can be educational and fun.

Many school classrooms are now filled with diverse cultures. In addition to learning reading and math, it is also important for students to learn about foreign languages and children of other countries. Studying the traditions, communication, and lifestyles of other children can help students become more aware of both themselves and the people of the world. There are several fun and educational activities that teachers can carry out to increase the awareness of children around the world. These activities include comparison and contrast, traditions, communication research, and more.

Saying Hello

Ask students to predict how many different ways there are to say hello to a friend. Research various countries and determine how children in that location would tell one another "hello". Practice saying the word in the different languages. Have students use the new language for hello throughout the day when they meet a friend. Play an auditory matching game to match the language to the country.

Different Types of Christmas

This is a great winter activity to introduce the different types of traditions around the world. Begin by discussing the various ways that people in America celebrate Christmas. Conduct research on the ways that children in other countries celebrate the Christmas holidays. Compare the date that is celebrated along with the activities that are carried out. For example, Germans celebrate on the sixth day of December. Treats are placed in boots rather than stockings and Santa has a white horse instead of reindeer. Students can create posters and graphs to display the information.

Comparison Venn Diagram

Have students look at pictures of children and review information about children from other countries. Using these resources, students should complete a Venn diagram showing how they are alike and how they are different from the other children. Differences may include items such as the language spoken, attire, and traditions. Similarities may be games played, family life, and likes or dislikes. Once the Venn diagrams are created discuss the information and reasoning behind the choices made to complete the graph.

References

• Wilderom: Hello in Different Languages
• Education World: Christmas
• KATW: Venn Diagram